Farmers and Ranchers deal with many difficulties. We are subject to hardships like weather, markets and accidents. Fortunately, we also tend to be more resilient than most people. That is probably because of the hardships we have experienced.
The Epoch Times shared some insight in a recent article on resilience: “Hardship often ignites victimhood. People may think, ‘Bad things always happen to me. Why can’t I get a break?’ When we play the victim, we internalize and reinforce a sense of our own vulnerability – and that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
When I think of tough and resilient, I often think of the Navy Seals. This article looked at Navy Seal candidates where the fallout rate is 65-80%. Blood tests showed that those who passed the Seal training had higher levels of DHEA, a hormone that helps recover after stressful events. In other words, they experienced the same stress but recovered much better.
To develop resiliency, we need to focus on the positive, use positive self-talk and be grateful. The Seal ethos embodies resiliency, “I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time.” Resiliency is about looking for the best possible outcome, especially in the face of adversity.
Resiliency has many benefits. Resilient people experience less depression and anxiety and have higher job satisfaction. Resilient people are also healthier and spend less money on health care. Resilient people also tend to be more adaptive. They have this motto that no matter what happens, I will be ok. This sounds like faith!